1
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Joshi SHN, Jenkins C, Ulaeto D, Gorochowski TE. Accelerating Genetic Sensor Development, Scale-up, and Deployment Using Synthetic Biology. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2024; 6:0037. [PMID: 38919711 PMCID: PMC11197468 DOI: 10.34133/bdr.0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Living cells are exquisitely tuned to sense and respond to changes in their environment. Repurposing these systems to create engineered biosensors has seen growing interest in the field of synthetic biology and provides a foundation for many innovative applications spanning environmental monitoring to improved biobased production. In this review, we present a detailed overview of currently available biosensors and the methods that have supported their development, scale-up, and deployment. We focus on genetic sensors in living cells whose outputs affect gene expression. We find that emerging high-throughput experimental assays and evolutionary approaches combined with advanced bioinformatics and machine learning are establishing pipelines to produce genetic sensors for virtually any small molecule, protein, or nucleic acid. However, more complex sensing tasks based on classifying compositions of many stimuli and the reliable deployment of these systems into real-world settings remain challenges. We suggest that recent advances in our ability to precisely modify nonmodel organisms and the integration of proven control engineering principles (e.g., feedback) into the broader design of genetic sensing systems will be necessary to overcome these hurdles and realize the immense potential of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher Jenkins
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - David Ulaeto
- CBR Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - Thomas E. Gorochowski
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- BrisEngBio,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
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2
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Yang M, Hao Y, Liu G, Wen Y. Enhancement of acyl-CoA precursor supply for increased avermectin B1a production by engineering meilingmycin polyketide synthase and key primary metabolic pathway genes. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14470. [PMID: 38683675 PMCID: PMC11057500 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Avermectins (AVEs), a family of macrocyclic polyketides produced by Streptomyces avermitilis, have eight components, among which B1a is noted for its strong insecticidal activity. Biosynthesis of AVE "a" components requires 2-methylbutyryl-CoA (MBCoA) as starter unit, and malonyl-CoA (MalCoA) and methylmalonyl-CoA (MMCoA) as extender units. We describe here a novel strategy for increasing B1a production by enhancing acyl-CoA precursor supply. First, we engineered meilingmycin (MEI) polyketide synthase (PKS) for increasing MBCoA precursor supply. The loading module (using acetyl-CoA as substrate), extension module 7 (using MMCoA as substrate) and TE domain of MEI PKS were assembled to produce 2-methylbutyrate, providing the starter unit for B1a production. Heterologous expression of the newly designed PKS (termed Mei-PKS) in S. avermitilis wild-type (WT) strain increased MBCoA level, leading to B1a titer 262.2 μg/mL - 4.36-fold higher than WT value (48.9 μg/mL). Next, we separately inhibited three key nodes in essential pathways using CRISPRi to increase MalCoA and MMCoA levels in WT. The resulting strains all showed increased B1a titer. Combined inhibition of these key nodes in Mei-PKS expression strain increased B1a titer to 341.9 μg/mL. Overexpression of fatty acid β-oxidation pathway genes in the strain further increased B1a titer to 452.8 μg/mL - 8.25-fold higher than WT value. Finally, we applied our precursor supply strategies to high-yield industrial strain A229. The strategies, in combination, led to B1a titer 8836.4 μg/mL - 37.8% higher than parental A229 value. These findings provide an effective combination strategy for increasing AVE B1a production in WT and industrial S. avermitilis strains, and our precursor supply strategies can be readily adapted for overproduction of other polyketides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding and College of Biological SciencesChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yi Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding and College of Biological SciencesChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Gang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of MycologyInstitute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ying Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding and College of Biological SciencesChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
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3
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Wilder CL, Lefaudeux D, Mathenge R, Kishimoto K, Zuniga Munoz A, Nguyen MA, Meyer AS, Cheng QJ, Hoffmann A. A stimulus-contingent positive feedback loop enables IFN-β dose-dependent activation of pro-inflammatory genes. Mol Syst Biol 2023; 19:e11294. [PMID: 36929731 PMCID: PMC10167482 DOI: 10.15252/msb.202211294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Type I interferons (IFN) induce powerful antiviral and innate immune responses via the transcription factor, IFN-stimulated gene factor (ISGF3). However, in some pathological contexts, type I IFNs are responsible for exacerbating inflammation. Here, we show that a high dose of IFN-β also activates an inflammatory gene expression program in contrast to IFN-λ3, a type III IFN, which elicits only the common antiviral gene program. We show that the inflammatory gene program depends on a second, potentiated phase in ISGF3 activation. Iterating between mathematical modeling and experimental analysis, we show that the ISGF3 activation network may engage a positive feedback loop with its subunits IRF9 and STAT2. This network motif mediates stimulus-specific ISGF3 dynamics that are dependent on ligand, dose, and duration of exposure, and when engaged activates the inflammatory gene expression program. Our results reveal a previously underappreciated dynamical control of the JAK-STAT/IRF signaling network that may produce distinct biological responses and suggest that studies of type I IFN dysregulation, and in turn therapeutic remedies, may focus on feedback regulators within it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catera L Wilder
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Present address:
Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic SciencesUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Diane Lefaudeux
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Present address:
Novadiscovery S.A.LyonFrance
| | - Raisa Mathenge
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Present address:
Division of RheumatologyUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Kensei Kishimoto
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Present address:
Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer BiologyUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolWorcesterMAUSA
| | - Alma Zuniga Munoz
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Present address:
Department of Physiology and BiophysicsUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Minh A Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Present address:
Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of PediatricsBoston Children's HospitalBostonMAUSA
| | - Aaron S Meyer
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Quen J Cheng
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Alexander Hoffmann
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
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4
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Chen X, Liu Z, Lou C, Guan Y, Ouyang Q, Xiang Y. Improving cooperativity of transcription activators by oligomerization domains in mammalian cells. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:114-120. [PMID: 36605704 PMCID: PMC9804245 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cooperative activation is critical for the applications of synthetic biology in mammalian cells. In this study, we have developed cooperative transcription factor by fusing oligomerization domain in mammalian cells. Firstly, we demonstrated that two oligomerized domains (CI434 and CI) successfully improved transcription factor cooperativity in bacterial cells but failed to increase cooperativity in mammalian cells, possibly because the additional mammalian activation domain disrupted their oligomerization capability. Therefore, we chose a different type of oligomerized domain (CarHC), whose ability to oligomerize is not dependent on its C-terminal domains, to fuse with a transcription factor (RpaR) and activation domain (VTR3), forming a potential cooperative transcription activator RpaR-CarH-VTR3 for mammalian regulatory systems. Compared with RpaR-VTR3, the cooperativity of RpaR-CarH-VTR3 was significantly improved with higher Hill coefficient and a narrower input range in the inducible switch system in mammalian cells. Moreover, a mathematical model based on statistical mechanics model was developed and the simulation results supported the hypothesis that the tetramer of the CarH domain in mammalian cells was the reason for the cooperative capacity of RpaR-CarH-VTR3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmao Chen
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ziming Liu
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Chunbo Lou
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ying Guan
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qi Ouyang
- School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yanhui Xiang
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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5
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Guan Y, Chen X, Shao B, Ji X, Xiang Y, Jiang G, Xu L, Lin Z, Ouyang Q, Lou C. Mitigating Host Burden of Genetic Circuits by Engineering Autonegatively Regulated Parts and Improving Functional Prediction. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2361-2371. [PMID: 35772024 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Mitigating unintended interferences between circuits and host cells is key to realize applications of synthetic regulatory systems both for bacteria and mammalian cells. Here, we demonstrated that growth burden and circuit dysregulation occurred in a concentration-dependent manner for specific transcription factors (CymR*/CymR) in E.coli, and direct negative feedback modules were able to control the concentration of CymR*/CymR, mitigate growth burden, and restore circuit functions. A quantitative design scheme was developed for circuits embedded with autorepression modules. Four key parameters were theoretically identified to determine the performance of autoregulated switches and were experimentally modified by fine-tuning promoter architectures and cooperativity. Using this strategy, we synthesized a number of switches and demonstrated its improvement of product titers and host growth controlling the complex deoxyviolacein biosynthesis pathway. Furthermore, we restored functions of a dysregulated multilayer NOR gate by integrating autorepression modules. Our work provides a blueprint for engineering host-adaptable synthetic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Guan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100871, China.,Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xinmao Chen
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Bin Shao
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiangyu Ji
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100149, China
| | - Yanhui Xiang
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guoqiang Jiang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Lina Xu
- National Protein Science Facility, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhanglin Lin
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Qi Ouyang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chunbo Lou
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.,College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100149, China
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6
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Novel switchable ECF sigma factor transcription system for improving thaxtomin A production in Streptomyces. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2022; 7:972-981. [PMID: 35756964 PMCID: PMC9194655 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2022.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The application of the valuable natural product thaxtomin A, a potent bioherbicide from the potato scab pathogenic Streptomyces strains, has been greatly hindered by the low yields from its native producers. Here, we developed an orthogonal transcription system, leveraging extra-cytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma (σ) factor 17 (ECF17) and its cognate promoter Pecf17, to express the thaxtomin gene cluster and improve the production of thaxtomin A. The minimal Pecf17 promoter was determined, and a Pecf17 promoter library with a wide range of strengths was constructed. Furthermore, a cumate inducible system was developed for precise temporal control of the ECF17 transcription system in S. venezuelae ISP5230. Theoretically, the switchable ECF17 transcription system could reduce the unwanted influences from host and alleviate the burdens introduced by overexpression of heterologous genes. The yield of thaxtomin A was significantly improved to 202.1 ± 15.3 μ g/mL using the switchable ECF17 transcription system for heterologous expression of the thaxtomin gene cluster in S. venezuelae ISP5230. Besides, the applicability of this transcription system was also tested in Streptomyces albus J1074, and the titer of thaxtomin A was raised to as high as 239.3 ± 30.6 μg/mL. Therefore, the inducible ECF17 transcription system could serve as a complement of the generally used transcription systems based on strong native constitutive promoters and housekeeping σ factors for the heterologous expression of valuable products in diverse Streptomyces hosts.
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7
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Wu J, Chen B, Liu Y, Ma L, Huang W, Lin Y. Modulating gene regulation function by chemically controlled transcription factor clustering. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2663. [PMID: 35562359 PMCID: PMC9106659 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30397-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested that transcriptional protein condensates (or clusters) may play key roles in gene regulation and cell fate determination. However, it remains largely unclear how the gene regulation function is quantitatively tuned by transcription factor (TF) clustering and whether TF clustering may confer emergent behaviors as in cell fate control systems. Here, to address this, we construct synthetic TFs whose clustering behavior can be chemically controlled. Through single-parameter tuning of the system (i.e., TF clustering propensity), we provide lines of evidence supporting the direct transcriptional activation and amplification of target genes by TF clustering. Single-gene imaging suggests that such amplification results from the modulation of transcriptional dynamics. Importantly, TF clustering propensity modulates the gene regulation function by significantly tuning the effective TF binding affinity and to a lesser extent the ultrasensitivity, contributing to bimodality and sustained response behavior that are reminiscent of canonical cell fate control systems. Collectively, these results demonstrate that TF clustering can modulate the gene regulation function to enable emergent behaviors, and highlight the potential applications of chemically controlled protein clustering. Transcription factor (TF) condensates appear to be pervasive, yet their roles remain debated. Here, the authors use a synthetic biology approach to show that TF clusters causally amplify transcription and can confer bimodality and “memory”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiegen Wu
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.,The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.,School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Baoqiang Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Yadi Liu
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.,The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Ma
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.,The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Huang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.,The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Yihan Lin
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China. .,The MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China. .,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
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8
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CRISPR-Based Genetic Switches and Other Complex Circuits: Research and Application. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11111255. [PMID: 34833131 PMCID: PMC8621321 DOI: 10.3390/life11111255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-based enzymes have offered a unique capability to the design of genetic switches, with advantages in designability, modularity and orthogonality. CRISPR-based genetic switches operate on multiple levels of life, including transcription and translation. In both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, deactivated CRISPR endonuclease and endoribonuclease have served in genetic switches for activating or repressing gene expression, at both transcriptional and translational levels. With these genetic switches, more complex circuits have been assembled to achieve sophisticated functions including inducible switches, non-linear response and logical biocomputation. As more CRISPR enzymes continue to be excavated, CRISPR-based genetic switches will be used in a much wider range of applications.
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9
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Synthetic Protein Circuits and Devices Based on Reversible Protein-Protein Interactions: An Overview. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11111171. [PMID: 34833047 PMCID: PMC8623019 DOI: 10.3390/life11111171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) contribute to regulate many aspects of cell physiology and metabolism. Protein domains involved in PPIs are important building blocks for engineering genetic circuits through synthetic biology. These domains can be obtained from known proteins and rationally engineered to produce orthogonal scaffolds, or computationally designed de novo thanks to recent advances in structural biology and molecular dynamics prediction. Such circuits based on PPIs (or protein circuits) appear of particular interest, as they can directly affect transcriptional outputs, as well as induce behavioral/adaptational changes in cell metabolism, without the need for further protein synthesis. This last example was highlighted in recent works to enable the production of fast-responding circuits which can be exploited for biosensing and diagnostics. Notably, PPIs can also be engineered to develop new drugs able to bind specific intra- and extra-cellular targets. In this review, we summarize recent findings in the field of protein circuit design, with particular focus on the use of peptides as scaffolds to engineer these circuits.
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10
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López-Laguna H, Sánchez JM, Carratalá JV, Rojas-Peña M, Sánchez-García L, Parladé E, Sánchez-Chardi A, Voltà-Durán E, Serna N, Cano-Garrido O, Flores S, Ferrer-Miralles N, Nolan V, de Marco A, Roher N, Unzueta U, Vazquez E, Villaverde A. Biofabrication of functional protein nanoparticles through simple His-tag engineering. ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING 2021; 9:12341-12354. [PMID: 34603855 PMCID: PMC8483566 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c04256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We have developed a simple, robust, and fully transversal approach for the a-la-carte fabrication of functional multimeric nanoparticles with potential biomedical applications, validated here by a set of diverse and unrelated polypeptides. The proposed concept is based on the controlled coordination between Zn2+ ions and His residues in His-tagged proteins. This approach results in a spontaneous and reproducible protein assembly as nanoscale oligomers that keep the original functionalities of the protein building blocks. The assembly of these materials is not linked to particular polypeptide features, and it is based on an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach. The resulting nanoparticles, with dimensions ranging between 10 and 15 nm, are regular in size, are architecturally stable, are fully functional, and serve as intermediates in a more complex assembly process, resulting in the formation of microscale protein materials. Since most of the recombinant proteins produced by biochemical and biotechnological industries and intended for biomedical research are His-tagged, the green biofabrication procedure proposed here can be straightforwardly applied to a huge spectrum of protein species for their conversion into their respective nanostructured formats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hèctor López-Laguna
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Julieta M. Sánchez
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Universidad
Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de
Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, ICTA and Departamento
de Química, Cátedra de Química
Biológica, Av. Vélez Sársfield
1611, Córdoba 5016, Argentina
- CONICET-Universidad
Nacional de Córdoba, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas
(IIByT), Av. Velez Sarsfield
1611, Córdoba, 5016, Argentina
| | - José Vicente Carratalá
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Mauricio Rojas-Peña
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
| | - Laura Sánchez-García
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Eloi Parladé
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Alejandro Sánchez-Chardi
- Servei de
Microscòpia, Universitat Autònoma
de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat
de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Eric Voltà-Durán
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Naroa Serna
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Olivia Cano-Garrido
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Sandra Flores
- Universidad
Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de
Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, ICTA and Departamento
de Química, Cátedra de Química
Biológica, Av. Vélez Sársfield
1611, Córdoba 5016, Argentina
- CONICET-Universidad
Nacional de Córdoba, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas
(IIByT), Av. Velez Sarsfield
1611, Córdoba, 5016, Argentina
| | - Neus Ferrer-Miralles
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Verónica Nolan
- Universidad
Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de
Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, ICTA and Departamento
de Química, Cátedra de Química
Biológica, Av. Vélez Sársfield
1611, Córdoba 5016, Argentina
- CONICET-Universidad
Nacional de Córdoba, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas
(IIByT), Av. Velez Sarsfield
1611, Córdoba, 5016, Argentina
| | - Ario de Marco
- Laboratory
for Environmental and Life Sciences, University
of Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica 5000, Slovenia
| | - Nerea Roher
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
- Departament
de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia Animal i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08193, Spain
| | - Ugutz Unzueta
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
- Biomedical
Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Sant Antoni Ma Claret 167, Barcelona 08025, Spain
| | - Esther Vazquez
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Antonio Villaverde
- Institut
de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Departament
de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat
Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- CIBER
de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y
Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid 28029, Spain
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11
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Yuan S, Zhang R, Cao Y, Guo J, Xian M, Liu W. New expression system to increase the yield of phloroglucinol. BIOTECHNOL BIOTEC EQ 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2020.1764386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shan Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Rubing Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong, PR China
| | - Yujin Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong, PR China
| | - Jing Guo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong, PR China
| | - Mo Xian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong, PR China
| | - Wei Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong, PR China
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12
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Edgell CL, Smith AJ, Beesley JL, Savery NJ, Woolfson DN. De Novo Designed Protein-Interaction Modules for In-Cell Applications. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:427-436. [PMID: 31977192 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions control a wide variety of natural biological processes. α-Helical coiled coils frequently mediate such protein-protein interactions. Due to the relative simplicity of their sequences and structures and the ease with which properties such as strength and specificity of interaction can be controlled, coiled coils can be designed de novo to deliver a variety of non-natural protein-protein interaction domains. Herein, several de novo designed coiled coils are tested for their ability to mediate protein-protein interactions in Escherichia coli cells. The set includes a parallel homodimer, a parallel homotetramer, an antiparallel homotetramer, and a newly designed heterotetramer, all of which have been characterized in vitro by biophysical and structural methods. Using a transcription repression assay based on reconstituting the Lac repressor, we find that the modules behave as designed in the cellular environment. Each design imparts a different property to the resulting Lac repressor-coiled coil complexes, resulting in the benefit of being able to reconfigure the system in multiple ways. Modification of the system also allows the interactions to be controlled: assembly can be tuned by controlling the expression of the constituent components, and complexes can be disrupted through helix sequestration. The small and straightforward de novo designed components that we deliver are highly versatile and have considerable potential as protein-protein interaction domains in synthetic biology where proteins must be assembled in highly specific ways. The relative simplicity of the designs makes them amenable to future modifications to introduce finer control over their assembly and to adapt them for different contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin L. Edgell
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - Abigail J. Smith
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
- BrisSynBio, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph L. Beesley
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel J. Savery
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
- BrisSynBio, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Derek N. Woolfson
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
- BrisSynBio, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
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13
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Wang F, Zhang R, Han L, Guo W, Du Z, Niu K, Liu Y, Jia C, Fang X. Use of fusion transcription factors to reprogram cellulase transcription and enable efficient cellulase production in Trichoderma reesei. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2019; 12:244. [PMID: 31636703 PMCID: PMC6792246 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1589-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trichoderma reesei is widely used for cellulase production and accepted as an example for cellulase research. Cre1-mediated carbon catabolite repression (CCR) can significantly inhibit the transcription of cellulase genes during cellulase fermentation in T. reesei. Early efforts have been undertaken to modify Cre1 for the release of CCR; however, this approach leads to arrested hyphal growth and decreased biomass accumulation, which negatively affects cellulase production. RESULTS In this study, novel fusion transcription factors (fTFs) were designed to release or attenuate CCR inhibition in cellulase transcription, while Cre1 was left intact to maintain normal hyphal growth. Four designed fTFs were introduced into the T. reesei genome, which generated several transformants, named Kuace3, Kuclr2, Kuace2, and Kuxyr1. No obvious differences in growth were observed between the parent and transformant strains. However, the transcription levels of cel7a, a major cellulase gene, were significantly elevated in all the transformants, particularly in Kuace2 and Kuxyr1, when grown on lactose as a carbon source. This suggested that CCR inhibition was released or attenuated in the transformant strains. The growth of Kuace2 and Kuxyr1 was approximately equivalent to that of the parent strain in fed-batch fermentation process. However, we observed a 3.2- and 2.1-fold increase in the pNPCase titers of the Kuace2 and Kuxyr1 strains, respectively, compared with that of the parent strain. Moreover, we observed a 6.1- and 3.9-fold increase in the pNPCase titers of the Kuace2 and Kuxyr1 strains, respectively, compared with that of Δcre1 strain. CONCLUSIONS A new strategy based on fTFs was successfully established in T. reesei to improve cellulase titers without impairing fungal growth. This study will be valuable for lignocellulosic biorefining and for guiding the development of engineering strategies for producing other important biochemical compounds in fungal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangzhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237 China
- Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong China
| | - Ruiqin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237 China
| | - Lijuan Han
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237 China
| | - Wei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237 China
| | - Zhiqiang Du
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237 China
| | - Kangle Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237 China
| | - Yucui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237 China
| | - Chunjiang Jia
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong China
| | - Xu Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237 China
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14
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Lin T, Scott BL, Hoppe AD, Chakravarty S. FRETting about the affinity of bimolecular protein-protein interactions. Protein Sci 2019; 27:1850-1856. [PMID: 30052312 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a powerful tool to study macromolecular interactions such as protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Fluorescent protein (FP) fusions enable FRET-based PPI analysis of signaling pathways and molecular structure in living cells. Despite FRET's importance in PPI studies, FRET has seen limited use in quantifying the affinities of PPIs in living cells. Here, we have explored the relationship between FRET efficiency and PPI affinity over a wide range when expressed from a single plasmid system in Escherichia coli. Using live-cell microscopy and a set of 20 pairs of small interacting proteins, belonging to different structural folds and interaction affinities, we demonstrate that FRET efficiency can reliably measure the dissociation constant (KD ) over a range of mM to nM. A 10-fold increase in the interaction affinity results in 0.05 unit increase in FRET efficiency, providing sufficient resolution to quantify large affinity differences (> 10-fold) using live-cell FRET. This approach provides a rapid and simple strategy for assessment of PPI affinities over a wide range and will have utility for high-throughput analysis of protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Lin
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, 57007
| | - Brandon L Scott
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, 57007
| | - Adam D Hoppe
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, 57007.,BioSNTR, Brookings, South Dakota, 57007
| | - Suvobrata Chakravarty
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, 57007.,BioSNTR, Brookings, South Dakota, 57007
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15
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Fan Z, Wang J, Hao N, Li Y, Yin Y, Wang Z, Ding Y, Zhao J, Zhang K, Huang W. Ultrasensitive detection of transcription factors with a highly-efficient diaminoterephthalate fluorophore via an electrogenerated chemiluminescence strategy. Chem Commun (Camb) 2019; 55:11892-11895. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cc05692k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Herein, we apply electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) based method employing diaminoterephthalate analogue as ECL emitter and hairpin DNA as amplification strategy, for sensitive assay of transcription factors.
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16
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Xiang Y, Dalchau N, Wang B. Scaling up genetic circuit design for cellular computing: advances and prospects. NATURAL COMPUTING 2018; 17:833-853. [PMID: 30524216 PMCID: PMC6244767 DOI: 10.1007/s11047-018-9715-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology aims to engineer and redesign biological systems for useful real-world applications in biomanufacturing, biosensing and biotherapy following a typical design-build-test cycle. Inspired from computer science and electronics, synthetic gene circuits have been designed to exhibit control over the flow of information in biological systems. Two types are Boolean logic inspired TRUE or FALSE digital logic and graded analog computation. Key principles for gene circuit engineering include modularity, orthogonality, predictability and reliability. Initial circuits in the field were small and hampered by a lack of modular and orthogonal components, however in recent years the library of available parts has increased vastly. New tools for high throughput DNA assembly and characterization have been developed enabling rapid prototyping, systematic in situ characterization, as well as automated design and assembly of circuits. Recently implemented computing paradigms in circuit memory and distributed computing using cell consortia will also be discussed. Finally, we will examine existing challenges in building predictable large-scale circuits including modularity, context dependency and metabolic burden as well as tools and methods used to resolve them. These new trends and techniques have the potential to accelerate design of larger gene circuits and result in an increase in our basic understanding of circuit and host behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyu Xiang
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF UK
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JR UK
| | | | - Baojun Wang
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF UK
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JR UK
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